A Call to Arms to the Internet and Open-Source Communities!
It's Time to Secure E-Mail, Control Spam, and Empower E-Mail Users!

People For Internet Responsibility (PFIR) co-founders Lauren Weinstein and
Peter G. Neumann today called on the Internet and Open-Source Communities to
consider a proposal for the most significant and far-reaching changes to
e-mail systems since the creation of the Internet and its ancestor ARPANET
more than 30 years ago.

PFIR today released a white paper describing a proposed project to
consider the implementation and
deployment of widespread encryption, authentication, anti-spam, and other
advances directly into the fundamental structure of Internet, intranet, and
local e-mail systems.

describes the proposed new environment which focuses on ensuring that choices
and power regarding e-mail are vested directly with e-mail users themselves,
rather than with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or government agencies.

The changes described by the TRIPOLI proposal could be gradually implemented,
largely based upon open-source software tools that already exist.
Ultimately under TRIPOLI, the volumes of forgeries and spam (both received
by users and traversing the Internet) would be drastically reduced, by
default all e-mail would be encrypted, and e-mail users would have
essentially complete control over how they individually choose to send and
receive e-mail.

"Current e-mail systems were not designed to deal with the kind of world we
have today -- they've become a hopeless nightmare for users and ISPs alike,"
said Weinstein. "E-mail users are inundated with spam, forged mail, and
other garbage, and unfortunately the actions many ISPs are taking to try
control spam and other e-mail are shackling their honest customers with
unreasonable restrictions and making matters even worse. Some of the
proposed anti-spam laws may also exacerbate these problems without really
controlling spam at all. Legitimate e-mail users need to be put back in the
driver's seat, and there isn't a moment to lose."

"These problems are getting more severe every day," said Neumann. "Not only
are users and networks drowning under spam and other e-mail deficiencies,
but basic matters of security and reliability on the Internet are being
largely ignored under the current intolerable situation. These critical
problems simply cannot be fixed without coordinated and major changes to the
way e-mail is handled throughout the Internet. It's going to be a big job,
but we have to get going on this right now."

PFIR hopes that the TRIPOLI proposal can act as a starting point for
discussion and implementation of systems to solve the many e-mail problems
that exist today, in a manner that empowers users rather than unfairly
restricting them. PFIR invites the participation of the open-source and
Internet communities at large towards these crucial goals.

Persons interested in participating or getting more information about
the TRIPOLI project can send e-mail to: